The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-03-31
HOW STORY SAW CHRIST.
HIS STATUE OF THE S,yIc.u
MADE FROM MEMORY GFAyIsInN

The Vivid Memory of Mnryeiou, Wis.
ION Gave Us II Noble Se,nblnucc of
the Master.
! correspondence of the New York Starl
hoME, March l., 1SS1- Story's last
statue, Christ, is an original and beauti-
Iui conception. The dress is that of an
hrao: tne cetoneth or under garment. rich
ana 1uli bound round the waist with a
ooit SASH ana The mel, an upper one, n
'n""'ie' "nich was the seamless garment
| we read that our Lord Wore. ON tho
head is the kiffyeh or scarf. bound around
oy hllet, which forms II soft visor like
framing above the brow; the ends Of this
klHyeh fall over the shoulders and cover
the long hair which you see under the
shadow of its folds. This is The napkin
as the English translation of the Billie
calls 1t, which was taken OF. folded and
laid beside our Lord III the grave. This
costume is most effective for il has the
rich deep folds of the oriental qualrangu-
lar mantle, and is probably exactly like
the dress our Saviour wore.
The person is that Of q young man. tai,
thin, but not emaciated. The right hand
is extended as if summoning you to ap-
proach. The left hand rests gently on
the drapery of the breast. Thy are long,
slender, refined, orenta' hands, modelled
with feeling and delcacy The face is
slngularly tender and noble; handsome,
with fine brow and beautiful features.
The eyes have q wonderful outlook. spir-
ltual, and as if they saw far beyond
mortal gaze. The expression of the face
is united to that of the outstretched.
pleading, earnest hand The words Come
unto Inc ye who are weary and heavy
laden and ye shall find rest" seem to be
uttered by the lips, ana yet the intense
sadness of the face is as if He had little
hope that humanity would listen to the
call.
| sat some time the other afternoon
looking at this impressive statue. Ave
Maria sounded, and the late afternoon
shadows gathered into the studio. The
half lights gave the figure of the young
Messiah startling likeness to life.
spoke, thinking aloud: And so he may
have looked
'It ought to look like him, for have
seen him." said the sculptor quietly
started, and turned to know if had
heard the words or had dreamed them.
'Nes," repeated Story, calmly. lighting
fresh cigarette; eyes, and | will tell you
how it was. 1t happened when | was
yOung-about 90 | was going in the
hourly as the coach was called that ran
in those days every hour be- wcen Boston
and Cambridge, for it was long before the
time of the omnibus and horse car. Of
course, | mean ] dreamed | was in the
coach. 1t was, as all dreams are, ut once
strange ard prosac Soon after | got
outside the coach, and we lad started |
suddenly became aware th; Christ was
seated outside with the dr>rr. My first
impulse was to touch him; Sc leaned out
aud rested my hand on his garments
when felt sure it was Chris.
When the coach reached the halfway
house at Cambridgeport every one got
out, and Christ also. | did not, but sat
looking upon him as he walk sod to and fro
There were ordinary, common people
about, and the natural pros.,ic actions of
such place going on. | WAS aware that
no one but myself saw that TRANCE being
IN oriental garments, moving with stately
steps backward and forward III front Of
the busy little crowd which assemblies ut
a halfway house when a stage arrives
But that did not seem strange to me, nor
was surprised at his dress, so unlike any
thing | had ever locked on. Tor ut that
time / was not fan liar with the Arab
costume; | simply thought, There is
Chri-t, and every sense in my body was
alive
"Then came the hustle of starting, and
then the whole dream cndod-thc vision
disappeared! For years and years THAT
appearance has haunted me- and over and
again | have tried to give form and shape
to that face and person, which | saw as
plainly as | see you now.'
No wonder, with the vivid memory of
that marvellous vision, our celebrated
sculptor has been able to give us such II
noble semblance of the Divine Master.